The Walt Disney Company's "Zootopia 2" premiere grossed a staggering 272 million US dollars, creating the second best performance for an imported film in Chinese box office history.

The sequel "Zootopia 2" under the Walt Disney Company (DIS.US) premiered in the Chinese market and garnered $272 million in box office sales, ranking as the second highest overseas premiere box office in Chinese film history and injecting strong momentum into this American film and television giant in a key market. According to Walt Disney Company, the film, which tells the adventure story of rabbit police officer Judy and fox partner Nick, is the best-performing overseas film in the Chinese market since "Avengers 4: Endgame." The ticketing platform Maoyan predicts that "Zootopia 2" could reach a total box office of RMB 4.26 billion (approximately $600 million) in China, potentially matching the success of "Avengers 4: Endgame," which remains the overseas box office champion in the second largest film market in the world. This box office explosion highlights Walt Disney Company's persistent efforts over the years to build "Zootopia" into a top IP in the Chinese market. Due to the political tensions and policy adjustments by the GEO Group Inc, the Chinese market has always been uncertain for American films. Walt Disney Company stated that the film also set a record for the highest overseas animated film premiere box office in China. Since the release of the first "Zootopia" in 2016, Walt Disney Company has continued to expand the market influence of this IP: a dedicated "Zootopia" themed area was opened in Shanghai Disneyland, and derivative short dramas like "Zootopia+" were launched on mainstream platforms like Bilibili, Inc. Sponsored ADR Class Z (BILI.US) and Tencent (00700) Video. Inside the themed area, fans wearing Judy and Nick's hats take photos with life-sized animal characters, experiencing the fantasy city as depicted in the movie. Walt Disney Company also invited Gary Dale's voice actor Guan Jiwei, as well as other Chinese voice actors for the characters, to attend the film's premiere. Senior film critic Zhou Liming analyzed that although the themed area maintained the popularity of the IP during the nine-year gap in films, the limited foot traffic at Shanghai Disneyland means this is not the main reason for attracting audiences to the film. The rise of animated films and the Chinese government's support policies for the struggling film market are the key drivers. "Ordinary audiences are gradually forming a consensus: when seeking a quality viewing experience, animated films are often more reliable than live-action films," Zhou Liming said. "Most Chinese viewers who have seen 'Zootopia 2' believe that this work is the best animated film work by Walt Disney Company in recent years, reaching the same level as the first film. The film is full of fun, cleverly incorporating values such as tolerance and mutual understanding, while avoiding being overly preachy." Animated films have become the mainstream genre in the Chinese film market, with several "must-see" works driving family audiences to theaters multiple times. Domestic animated films like "Ne Zha" have surpassed $2 billion in box office, with films like "White Snake" and "Boonie Bears: Blast into the Past" entering the annual top ten box office rankings. "Zootopia 2" currently ranks fourth for the year, with no Hollywood films entering the top ten before it. The second highest-grossing foreign film this year is Sony Pictures' "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train," currently ranked fourteenth overall. With the release date of "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 2" in China still undecided and a shortage of major new films from local film and television companies, "Zootopia 2" may be one of the few films in the coming weeks that can significantly boost box office revenue. Another IMAX blockbuster from Walt Disney Company, "Avatar: Fire and Ashes," will also be released later this month. Hollywood films imported this year have shown weak performance in the Chinese market. Before the release of "Zootopia 2," "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train" led foreign films with approximately RMB 620 million in box office sales, followed by "Jurassic World: Dominion" (RMB 5.67 billion) and "Mission: Impossible 8: The Final Reckoning" (RMB 4.64 billion). Reviving the cinema economy has become an important economic goal in China, aimed at supporting the struggling film and television industry and stimulating the consumption recovery of cinema-adjacent shopping malls. "Both official and public opinion welcome it," Zhou Liming said.